The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
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Pastry
1¼ c all-purpose flour ¼-inch pieces
4 T chilled vegetable shortening 1/8 tsp salt
or lard 3 T ice water
2 T chilled butter, cut in
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, vegetable shortening or lard,
butter and salt. Working quickly, use your fingertips to rub the flour and
fat together until they look like flakes of coarse meal. Pour 3 T of ice
water over the mixture, toss together, and press and knead gently with your
hands until the dough can be gathered into a compact ball. Dust very lightly
with flour, wrap in wax paper and chill the dough for at least ½ hour.Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and 13 to 14 inches in diameter. Lift it up on the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate, leaving enough slack in the middle of the pastry to enable you to line the plate without pulling or stretching the dough. Trim the excess pastry with a sharp knife to within ½ inch of the pie plate and fold the extra ½ inch under to make a double thickness all around the rim of the plate. With the tines of a fork or your fingers, press the pastry down around the rim.
Preheat the oven to 400°. To prevent the unfilled pastry from buckling as it bakes, either set another pie plate, lightly buttered on the underside, into the pastry shell, or line it with a sheet of lightly buttered foil. In either case, do not prick the pastry or the filling will run out when it is added later.
Bake the shell in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, remove the pie plate or foil, then turn the oven down to 350° for 10 minutes more, or until the pastry has lightly browned. Let the shell cool while you make the filling.
Filling
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken 2 tsp unflavored gelatin
into small bits 3 T cold water
4 egg yolks 2 egg whites
4 tsp cornstarch 1 T sugar
½ c sugar 1 c chilled heavy cream
1½ c milk 2 T confectioners' sugar
½ c heavy cream 1 T thinly shaved semisweet
2 T dark rum chocolate
½ tsp vanilla
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Over moderate heat, melt the chocolate in a small, heavy saucepan,
stirring it constantly with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to let it boil.
Set aside and cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat the
egg yolks and cornstarch with a whisk or rotary or electric beater for a
minute or two, then add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is
pale yellow and falls back on itself in a ribbon when the beater is lifted
out of the bowl. Heat the milk and ½ c of cream in a small saucepan until
small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Slowly pour it into the egg
yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add the rum and vanilla, and
return the mixture to the saucepan. Bring it almost to a boil, reduce the
heat to low and simmer, stirring, until it thickens to a smooth custard. Mix
1½ cups of the custard into the lukewarm chocolate and when the mixture has
cooled to room temperature, pour it into the baked pastry shell. Refrigerate
it while you prepare the remaining filling.In a measuring cup, soften the gelatin in 3 T of cold water for about 5 minutes, then set the cup in a pan of simmering water, and stir the gelatin until it dissolves and clears. Mix it into the remaining custard. With a whisk or electric or rotary beater, beat the egg whites and the tablespoon of sugar until they form firm unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted out of the bowl. With a rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold it into the custard. Then spread it evenly over the chocolate mixture in the pie shell and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm. Just before serving, beat the cup of cream until it holds soft peaks, then add 2 T of confectioners' sugar and beat until the cream is stiff. Pipe it on top of the pie through a pastry bag fitted with a plain or decorative tip or, with a rubber spatula, spread it on in decorative swirls. Scatter the shaved chocolate over the top of the pie and serve. Makes one 9-inch pie.
